Eyes
by Mandarax
Summary: Sam gets hurt on a mission. Set sometime in season 4 or 5, not really sure, but after Divide and Conquer and Window of Opportunity.


Eyes by Mandarax

Rated T

Summary – Sam gets hurt on a mission. Set sometime in season 4 or 5, not really sure, but after Divide and Conquer and Window of Opportunity.

Spoilers – none.

Disclaimer – yeah, yeah.

Author's note – Written at Samfan9's request. Hope you like it. Not my usual thing.

***

"SAM!!!!" "CARTER!!!"

Everything around her faded to black.

**

Strong arms held her tightly. She was being carried. Pain seared through her body.

"We need a medical team!" She heard someone shout as soon as they were through the Stargate and it closed behind them.

**

Bright lights blinded her. Shapes she couldn't make out were working busily over her. Every fiber of her body was in pain.

"Get that IV in!"

"We need to stabilize her, she's going into shock!"

Something pinched her arm.

Everything faded again.

**

Her eyes fluttered open, barely a slit but just enough to see.

The lights were dimmed. There was a constant beeping noise near her head.

Something, someone perhaps, was hovering over her.

"Sam?"

She didn't respond.

"DOC!"

Her eyes fluttered close.

**

Someone was stroking her head.

She tried to move her lips but nothing came out.

"Shh, Sam, rest."

She barely nodded and closed her eyes.

**

"She's crashing!"

The pain ripped through her from head to toes, she was thrashing on the bed.

"Get the crash cart! Everyone get out!"

Her body shook beneath the defibrillator handles.

The beeping started again.

"Oh, thank god," someone said.

Everything faded away again.

**

She opened her eyes. The dim light allowed her eyes to adjust easily to her surroundings. She released a breath slowly.

"Carter?"

Her gaze focused on the eyes that appeared above her. Worried brown eyes.

She blinked at them.

The eyes looked up and away from her. "Doc, she's awake!"

Then they were looking at her again. Brown eyes, this time a little more relaxed. Just a little. "You're going to be alright, Carter."

She tried to nod.

"Colonel, please," another voice said as another set of eyes looked down at her. "Hi, Sam," the voice said. Another set of brown eyes, gentler, kinder.

Light was shined into one of her eyes, then the other.

Blood was being drawn from her arm.

The voice was talking again but she didn't hear anything, she closed her eyes.

"She's okay, for now."

She slipped back into sleep.

**

"How is she?"

"Asleep, General."

She stirred, opening her eyes slowly.

"Hey there," a smile and two glass-rimmed blue eyes looked down at her. "How do you feel?"

She gazed into the warm, kind eyes.

She tried to open her mouth and speak but all she could do was swallow saliva.

The blue eyes were concerned now, and they looked away.

"She can't talk."

"No, the pressure on her brain is affecting her ability to speak. She'll be okay once the swelling goes down."

Her eyes shifted between the figures in the room. The blue eyed man was still standing over her, holding her hand. There was a doctor there, and a bald man who was looking at her while the doctor explained.

She closed her eyes again.

**

A flick of light made her open her eyes again.

The room was completely darkened, except for the flame-like light flickering across the wall. She tried to speak again but nothing came out.

She could feel eyes on her and she searched the room. Finding them, she locked her gaze with big, strong, black eyes. They shone at her, the candle flickering in front of him making his shadow against the wall bigger even than him. The kind eyes held her own for another moment before he bowed his head. He was watching over her.

She relaxed and closed her eyes again.

**

"Colonel, she's asleep."

She opened her eyes slowly.

"It's the first night she slept through since you got back."

There was whispering around her, the Doctor was checking devices.

She waited for the doctor to look at her. The petite woman finally turned.

"Hey Sam," the concerned brown eyes smiled at her. "Your color is starting to come back."

Another set of browns looked down at her from the other side of the bed.

"Can't talk yet?"

Brown eyes met brown eyes above her.

"The swelling is still affecting her speech pattern," the Doctor said to the other man.

She took more measurements. She drew more blood.

"You're okay, Sam. You'll be fine," the Doctor looked at her and said, then squeezing her hand, she left.

The other set of eyes was still on her. Chocolate brown eyes stared down at her with worry, with concern. There was something soft in the shadowed eyes. And there was something else, too. She stared back at him.

"Doc!" his lips were moving but he didn't look away.

The petite woman hurried back to her side. "Yes, Colonel?"

His eyes left hers and he looked up. "She doesn't recognize me. Any of us."

The Doctor shone the light into her eyes again.

"It's the swelling, Sir. It might be affecting her neural network, it's pushing against her brain, we can't be certain what the poison is supposed to attack..."

He looked down at her again. His eyes, though now haunted by the news, calmed her down. She held his gaze. It comforted her.

The Doctor pushed something into the IV.

She closed her eyes.

**

"Waaattteerrrr," she ground out through dry throat.

"JACK! She's awake!"

Blue eyes smiled warmly at her. "Hold on, Sam."

He looked up again, turned his head. "And get me a glass of water! She's asking for water!"

Black eyes appeared at her side. Brave black eyes held hers.

Then the arms attached to the black eyes were helping her sit up, and the blue eyes were holding a glass of water to her lips. She drank slowly, sip after sip, before pulling away. They helped her lie back down.

"Tiiirreeddd," she whispered hoarsely.

Smiling yet worried brown eyes appeared next to the blue ones. "Carter, do you remember us?"

She didn't respond, her gaze shifting between strong black, warm blue, and comforting brown.

"I'll take that as a no," the blue said.

"Tired," she whispered again.

"I'll stay with her," the blue said to the other two.

She slept.

**

She awoke with a start. Something wasn't right. Her body shook harshly against the bed.

Sleepy brown eyes grabbed hers. "Shh, it's okay."

"Cold," she said.

The brown eyes disappeared for a moment and returned, and he draped a blanket over her.

"Pain," she muttered.

"Where?" there was worry in the browns now. "DOC! She's in pain!"

The small Doctor rushed in quickly, took pressure, worked the pen-light.

She paid no attention. The Chocolaty eyes held hers the entire time, reassuring her.

"The swelling is going down; the pain is actually a good indication, the antidote's working."

The browns left her own, he looked at the doctor. "So she's going to be okay?"

"Yes, Colonel."

The Doctor's caring brown eyes smiled down at her. "Yes, she is."

The Doctor squeezed her hand before pushing a sedative into the IV.

"It's four in the morning, Sir. You should get some sleep."

She shifted her gaze to the brown eyes again, and they smiled at her as she slowly slid into sleep.

She felt her hand being squeezed before he let go.

**

She awoke to the sound of whispered conversation in her room. Slowly opening he eyes, Sam let herself adjust to the light. She recognized her surroundings from the hum of the machines. Propping herself on one elbow, she reached a hand to the stand by the bed to grab the glass of water. She drank it down to the last drop, alleviating her dry throat.

She sat up all the way, put away the glass. She ran an internal systems scan on herself. All body parts seemed to be in place, nothing was missing. A broken rib or two. One hand in a cast. And one huge Excedrin Extra Strength headache.

She shifted again, trying to slide off the bed.

"Woh, slow down there," blue eyes behind glasses greeted her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Hey," Sam said weakly, "Daniel, I need to stretch my legs."

A smile the size of Cheyenne Mountain broke onto his face. He turned around and pulled at the veil that separated her from everyone else.

"Janet, she's up. And she's asking when she can go back to her lab."

Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

The curtain slid open and three pairs of eyes were on her.

"What's going on?" she asked.

When the General joined as well, she tried to stand again. "Sir," she said feebly.

Hammond waved her down. "It's good to have you back, Major. You had us all worried."

Turning to the Doctor, he said, "I want a full report on her condition."

"Yes, Sir," Dr. Frasier said.

With another nod at Sam, he left.

Sam stared at them, her gaze shifting from one to another. Janet's careful and caring brown eyes. Daniel's warm and loving blue ones. Teal'c's soulful and strong black eyes. And finally, the Colonel's relieved and smiling browns.

Those eyes that held her own and reassured her all will be well.

Eyes that took away her pain.

Eyes that warmed her when she was cold.

Eyes that told her everything she needed to know when actions couldn't.


End file.
